We Are Only Ourselves
by TeyrianTimelord
Summary: IPod shuffle challenge! Mini song fics centered around Tarja and/or Pogue, with one about Reid, just for fun. Mild PoguexOC. References to the House of Night series, but not enough to be an official crossover. One Shot.


I found this while browsing Covenant fics and it seemed like fun!

Here are the rules – from shadowcat012

"Shuffle Challenge! Put your iPod on shuffle. Whatever song comes on, write a short story about it. You have as long as the song is to write the story. Once the song ends, no looking back, no changing anything, and no rewinding! Make as many as you want, most people do ten. Remember-no looking back, even after you're done. No rereading, even when you're done. Oh, and have fun!"

What the heck, I'll give it a try!

* * *

**Song 1- The Night, by Disturbed**

The pounding in Pogue's head made him clasp his hands against his temples. He had never faced problems with Use before. That was usually Reid's area of expertise. But as his 18th birthday got closer, the migraines that came with resisting the urge were getting more and more intense. His vision blurred under the pressure akin to pain, so he shut his eyes, totally conscious of everyone in the library staring at him, and of the burning of the rash desire to lift the entire place into the air.

"Fight it, Pogue," he heard Tarja whisper, feeling her hand rest on his shoulder. "You're stronger than it is."

"I'm trying," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Don't try. Do. I know you can. Don't give in."

**Song 2- Crazy Little Thing Called Love, by Queen**

"It's crazy," Tyler whispered to Pogue and Tarja as they watched Sarah and Caleb waltz around the ballroom. "It's like there's no one else in the room!"

"Well, to them, there isn't," Tarja said with a shrug. "Love does that to people."

Pogue bit his lip, trying to pretend he had no idea what she was talking about, but of course he thought of Kate, and their first dance. It was just the same, just as crazy, just as irrational.

**Song 3- Once Upon A Troubadour, by Nightwish**

So this is what people write songs about, Pogue thought as he noticed Tarja falling asleep on the couch despite the movie. She was so serene that he envied her. She was too engrossed in the screen and too tired to notice him staring, or so she was letting him believe for all he knew. But somehow he didn't care. She was most beautiful when she had nothing to think or worry about, which unfortunately was not often enough. It was the kind of beauty that could inspire music. Not sexy like when she got ready to go out to lunch, or even radiant like at the Fledgling formal, but a pureness.

**Song 4- Undrentide, by Medieval Baebes **

Tarja sighed as she sat on the damp lawn of the House of Night's back courtyard. The grass was so coarse and brittle and… dead looking! She didn't miss many things about England and Avalon, but the memory of wide open greens and cliffs snuck up on her every so often. And with that came the reminder of going home at the end of the semester.

She dropped her head into her arms and tucked her knees to her chin. There wouldn't be many opportunities to roll in the damn grass anyway!

**Song 5- Shot Through The Heart, by Bon Jovi**

"She's sorry, Pogue, really," Sarah said soberly. "We talk about it a lot now that you're gone."

"Well you can tell her that I'm still gone when you get home," he growled. "And tell her that I'm not some boy toy she can whistle for when it suits her."

What he didn't want to admit was that how much Kate had broke his heart when she cheated, and how many months he spent praying to any God existed that she would take him back. Of course, he had a cruel sense of irony for them both apparently. She didn't deserve him anymore.

**Song 6- Animals, by Nickelback**

Everyone looked up as Reid walked back into the dorm room with an icepack pressed against his left eye.

"The hell did you do now?" Tarja asked with a smug smirk, already guessing.

Pogue exchanged grins with Tyler and Caleb.

"My money is he screwed a vampyre's girlfriend and he got pissed," Caleb laughed.

Reid scowled.

"I'm smarter than that, you asshole!... It was a vampyre's daughter, and a lot more than just screwing…"

The rest of the group collapsed with erupting, hysteric, cackles.

**Song 7- Not While I'm Around, Sweeney Todd Soundtrack**

When Pogue shook Tarja's shoulder to wake her up, she nearly jumped out of her skin with a soft shriek.

"Woah, woah, it's just me!" he assured, grasping her shoulder as she gasped for breath.

She smiled in embarrassment, realizing how much she had freaked out.

"Sorry… Just a… bad dream," she said, running a hand through her thick hair, gazing off past Pogue.

He sat down on the bed next to her and put an arm around her.

"You know I'd never let anyone, or anything, hurt you, right?"

"Yeah, I do…"

Then she chuckled and added, "I won't let anyone hurt you either."

**Song 8- Cherry Pie, by Warrant**

"Oh, this is a good song!" Tarja exclaimed as a rocking 80's tune came out of the bar's jukebox. She put down her beer and jumped out onto the part of the floor where other girls were dancing together. Pogue rolled his eyes, but grinned.

"Is she yours?" A voice a few stools over asked.

It was an older college guy, half way through a Blue Moon, staring at the way Tarja's hips swung effortlessly along with the beat.

"My sister," he lied, knowing that would scare him off.

**Song 9- Kiss and Control, by AFI**

Tarja stood on the edge of the roof, looking down at the late night city below. She knew she wasn't going to jump, but superficially contemplated what would happen if she did. The Sons would miss her, no doubt. The school would be shaken up for a few months. Avalon would have to wait at least 20 years for a new Lady of the Lake. But that was it. No one's life would come crashing down. The world would not end, despite what the priestesses kept telling her.

For some reason she couldn't identify, she started to cry, and felt a soft grip lead her away from the ledge.

**Song 10- The River Sings, by Enya**

A powerful wave hit Tarja when the drums reached their heartbeat-like tempo. It was part of training, Anastasia insisted. The point of the exercise was to focus on inner power, and just releasing it. Think of whatever makes you feel strong, she had been instructed for her drum lead meditation.

It's not the powers of Avalon that make me feel strong, she realized with a jerk in her own heart beat. It was her friendship, her love, normal life.

* * *

Bleh, now you all know how bad my writing is when I do it on the fly without serious thought . Tarja and Pogue's relationship has a lot more built on and into it, despite how sappy, cliche, and stupid it seems here, I swear!

Review if you want, I guess ^^" And I challenge you all to try this!


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